SILVER FAWN (4) - Gotz Native American Starshine Doll - Cradleboard Baby - NAVAJO Tribe
This [[Gotz Native American Starshine Dolls; Preserving an American Heritage|'Gotz Native American Starshine Doll']] SILVER FAWN (4), was produced between 1991-1993. He is a Limited Edition, Porcelain and Cloth, Artist Doll with a Native American physical appearance, designed and produced by Robin Holland, intended to authentically and accurately represent the historical, cultural, and traditional appearance of the NAVAJO tribe. This SILVER FAWN is the fourth (4) Cradleboard Baby indexed. SILVER FAWN (4) reflects the appearance of a "Navajo Cradleboard Baby." According to Native Languages of the Americas, nursing infants and young toddlers (toddlers have their arms loose) are wrapped in blankets and strapped to several flat, wooden boards; these wooden boards act as a baby carrier. Native American Cradleboards were primarily used to help "carry" young children but they also provided a means of soothing; a means of support for the head (the rounded "headpiece" frame protects the head from falling too far forward), and provided a means of protection for young infant/toddlers against the elements1. Each "Cradleboard Baby" within the Starshine Collection is covered with a traditional woven Navajo textile blanket, each with different colors and different designs. This particular SILVER FAWN has what is known as a "Ute Chief's Blanket"2. SILVER FAWN (4) has an intended* total limited edition quantity of 200 dolls ever produced. This baby doll originally came with a Doll ID Tag identifying it as a Starshine Doll; its Doll ID Tag may also act as its Certificate of Authenticity. Cradleboards are also either stamped "Starshine Dolls" and/or appear numbered with the signature of "Spencer John," who most likely crafted either the doll or the Cradleboard itself. SILVER FAWN (4) measures 43cm/17" tall and has a Doll ID # or Catalog Code: UNKNOWN. This baby doll has a porcelain'' head; neck; half arms, and lower legs''' while the '''''torso; top half of each arm, and the tops of each thigh are made of soft, padded ''cloth. This doll is classified as a soft-bodied, non-articulated baby doll. It has a "modacrylic fiber wig" of short, straight black hair with straight bangs; its hair is worn down. It has "FIXED" BROWN EYES; the material (ex. glass) and/or method (ex. handpainted) of this doll's eyes is currently UNKNOWN''. This specific SILVER FAWN is an infant; his hands are tucked into his blanket.' '''HISTORY: Each STARSHINE DOLL was intended to reflect a specific Native American tribe in its physical appearance; every detail from the doll's hair to its facial paint (if any) to its outfit, jewelry and accessories, were all intended to accurately and authentically reflect a Native American tribe's historical, cultural, and traditional physical appearance. Each doll was handcrafted personally by Robin, who also employed expert craftsman to work with authentic, high-quality fabrics and materials (such as leather and jewelry). After creating her first two dolls, MORNINGSTAR and PRAIRIE FLOWER, and successfully marketing them, Robin received over 200 orders in a less than two month time span. PRODUCTION: Robin secured an agreement with Gotz Dolls whereby she would purchase "lots" of Gotz's remaining stock of doll bodies, heads (minus wigs) and torsos, which she would then dress herself. This arrangement with Gotz was slightly unique as Gotz typically produces not only the doll, but also the outfit. Within her doll line, Robin also offered the following dolls/items: *Robin secured a similar arrangement with doll manufacturer FURGA, who created a two-doll limited edition, vinyl baby doll exclusively for Starshine Dolls. *Robin also offered several variations of porcelain Native American Cradleboard Babies with facial molds designed by the Starlite Mold Company, although not much is known about the production of these dolls. Each Cradleboard Baby wears a white underlayer and is bundled within a different color/style of woven, Navajo textile blanket. Physical features are handpainted and Cradleboards are handcrafted. *A variety of limited edition Allison Dolly Prop doll stands were also available for purchase along with miscellaneous accessories that could be purchased separately. PHYSICAL APPEARANCES: Each Native American Starshine Doll has a black modacrylic doll wig; eye colors will either be dark brown or black. The Gotz Starshines all have sleepy-eyes with either a [[Different Gotz Doll Eyes|'pinwheel' or a decal eyes design]] while the FURGA Babies have fixed; handpainted doll eyes and the porcelain Cradleboard Babies have fixed eyes and physical features that are handpainted. Doll torsos also vary: Gotz Starshine Dolls all have soft, padded cloth torsos and will either be articulated or non-articulated; the FURGA Babies have hard, all-vinyl, articulated doll torsos, and the Cradleboard Babies all have soft padded, non-articulated doll torsos with porcelain, heads hands and feet. Physical appearances and the use of fabrics and materials between exact same dolls may vary slightly, as Robin only produced enough dolls to meet demand; she was therefore limited to the use of available fabrics and materials. DESIREABILITY: The dolls that have a [[Facial Molds: Gotz Native American Starshine Dolls|'STARSHINE FACIAL MOLD']] are one of the most highly collectible among Gotz Play Doll Collectors; their exceptional, high quality craftsmanship and stunning beauty combined with their facial mold and low limited edition total quantity numbers make these dolls some of the highest priced dolls on the secondary market. All STARSHINE DOLLS, in general and regardless of the facial mold used, are making a huge resurgence on the secondary market. Many of these dolls, especially the FURGA Babies and the CRADLEBOARD Babies have never been identified and indexed until now; in fact, these dolls (especially the FURGA babies) are incredibly rare. Regardless of the doll, these dolls may also be rarer than they appear as Robin only produced enough to meet demand. This is why each doll is described as having an "intended" total limited edition quantity: Robin "intended" to produce the full total limited edition quantity of each doll, but working "on demand" means only enough dolls to fulfill orders were actually produced. If you would like to learn more about the history and production of these dolls, please click here. Catalog Information #Doll Name: SILVER FAWN (4th SILVER FAWN INDEXED) *Native American Tribe Represented: NAVAJO #Years Produced: 1991-1993 #Catalog Code #: UNKNOWN #Total Number of Intended Limited Edition Dolls Produced: 200 #Original Cost of Doll: UNKNOWN #Certificate of Authenticity TYPE: UNKNOWN *SEPARATE from the Doll ID Tag *INCLUDED within the Doll ID Tag LE Quantity Tracking In order to help track how many of these dolls were actually produced, please upload a photo of this doll's torso signature; Doll ID Tag; or Certificate of Authenticity here. *Known Limited Editions In Existence: **#152 (Cradleboard Signed Spencer John) Doll Artist/Manufacturer Information #Doll Category: ARTIST DOLL #Size: 17" BABY DOLL #Doll Artist: ROBIN HOLLAND #Doll Manufacturer: PORCELAIN: SCIOTO DOLLS #Neckstamp Markings: ' 648 TIMOTHY' #Facial Mold Used: STARLITE MOLD COMPANY #Doll Collection/Series/Lines: Gotz Native American Starshine Doll Physical Characteristics #Hair Color: BLACK HAIR #Hair Length: SHORT HAIR #Hair Style: STRAIGHT HAIR with straight bangs. #Hair Description: Short, straight black hair with straight bangs; hair is worn down. #Hair Material & Type: MODACRYLIC FIBER WIG #Eye Color: BROWN EYES #Eye Type: FIXED OPEN EYES: UNKNOWN METHOD/MATERIAL (possibly inset eyes) #Facial Paint: NO #Additional Physical Characteristics: *'BLANKET COLORS': Solid green; white, and dark green(?). *'BLANKET DESIGN': SOLID GREEN WITH WHITE, RED AND DARK GREEN HORIZONTAL STRIPE (SAME THICKNESS) *'BLANKET DESCRIPTION': Top folded over with white fringe, solid green blanket with white, red, and dark green(?) horizontal stripes of the same thickness. Body Characteristics #Torso Material: CLOTH #Additional Material: Head; Arms; Legs: PORCELAIN #Body Type: SOFT-BODIED #Articulation Type: NON-ARTICULATED (0 joints move) Certificate of Authenticity Each Cradleboard Baby comes with a Doll ID Tag that may also act as its original Certificate of Authenticity. To ensure accuracy, please upload a photo of the Doll (in its entirety) along with its Doll ID Tag, as numerous baby dolls are named SILVER FAWN and each baby doll has its own color/design blanket. Original Outfit and Accessories Please provide a detailed description of this Starshine's original outfit along with any original accessories. Please include within your description the types of materials used; the pattern and colors of each item, and if possible, please upload photos of each item below. Box Styles Used Many of these dolls will have different doll box styles. If you have a photo of this doll's original doll box, please upload it below. REFERENCES: 1. “Native Languages of the Americas:Preserving and Promoting American Indian Languages.” Native American Language Net: Preserving and Promoting Indigenous American Indian Languages, 1998, http://www.native-languages.org/. 2. “History of Navajo Rugs & Blankets.” Cameron Trading Post, https://www.camerontradingpost.com/navajo-weaving.html. Category:Doll Index Category:Gotz Native American STARSHINE DOLLS Category:Native American Nationality Category:Doll Artist: Robin Holland Category:Baby Dolls NOT Manufactured by Gotz Category:Artist Dolls Category:Limited Edition Baby Dolls Category:Certificate of Authenticity Dolls Category:Dolls Produced Between 1990-1999 Category:Article Category:Article Stub Category:Requires Fill-In Category:Photo Needed Category:Wigged Baby Dolls Category:Modacrylic Fiber Category:Black Haired Dolls Category:Porcelain Baby Dolls Category:Non-Articulated Baby Dolls Category:Cloth Torso Baby Dolls Category:Soft-Bodied Baby Dolls Category:Fixed Eyes: UNKNOWN STYLE Category:Short Haired Dolls Category:Straight Haired Dolls Category:Dolls with Bangs Category:Cradleboard Baby Category:Light Skinned Dolls Category:Boy Dolls & Boy Baby Dolls Category:Fixed Eyes: UNKNOWN METHOD/MATERIAL